Night Of Shame: Mass Molestation Of Women During New Year’s Eve Celebrations In Bangalore

On New Year’s Eve, Bengaluru’s youngsters gathered around Mahatma Gandhi Road, Church Street, and Brigade Road to welcome 2017. There were thousands of revellers ushering in the new year. To ensure incident-free celebrations, the police department deployed 1500 policemen and women.

The police force was visibly outnumbered when drunken men in the crowd started molesting and harassing women. Many instances of assault were seen and heard. Women were molested, pushed, groped, and verbally abused by unruly mobs. Many were seen running away with their footwear in their hands. Some were crying because of the trauma and sought the help of the police to reunite with their families and friends.

The Logical Indian spoke to one of the victims. She said, “This was my first time going out for New Years celebrations. We were a group of seven. We did not have any alcohol were standing at the entrance almost. It wasn’t that crowded even when some guy touched my breasts. I was shocked and threw the coke bottle in my hand at his face. He ran away. My friends had not noticed this. They were angry too, but the guy had disappeared into the crowd. They then surrounded me to keep me safe.

Though very upset, I decided to enjoy the countdown. But another guy groped me from behind. And when I turned, he had the audacity to smile. I chased him down and slapped him. There is no way I was letting this guy think it is OK to keep doing this. Again, my friends did not realise what happened. It all occurred in a flash of a second. We just went home after these terrible experiences.”

On being asked about the security arrangements, she said, “The police were present. But there were so many people that it was not possible for them to keep an eye on everyone. My boyfriend was right next to me, holding my hand, and my friends had formed a protective circle, and still this happened with me. They helped anyone who approached them.”

Despite many such stories, there have been no formal complaints filed with the police.

The Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara called the incident unfortunate and promised a further investigation into the cases while blaming women’s ‘western dressing’ for such incidents. He said, “[On] events like new years, there are women who are harassed or treated badly. These kinds of things do happen. They tried to copy the westerners, not only in their mindset but even in their dressing. So some disturbance, some girls are harassed, these kinds of things do happen.”

He made these controversial statements before adding that he could not “force people to dress like Kannadigas”, as reported by The Guardian.

According to a 2016 report by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), Bengaluru is the third most unsafe city in India after Delhi and Mumbai. Bengaluru also has the second-highest cases of reported dowry deaths after Delhi.

What was supposed to be a fun time with family and friends turned out to be a nightmarish experience for many. Such events stain the image of Bengaluru as a modern, metropolitan city. While there was some amount of security failure, blaming the police force is not the solution. Deploying thousands of police personnel alone will not help. What we need is a change in the mindset of the people.

We need to teach children from a young age that consent is of utmost importance. We need to stop victim shaming and victim blaming and punish those who are committing such heinous crimes. We need to stop saying it is ok and to let things go. It should not be normal for a woman or a man to think harassment is the norm. We can change the situation only when we come together as a society and make a collective decision to stop sexual harassment.

My Story: The Question That Still Haunts Me Is Why Did This Happen To Us In The First Place

Partner Story

This Mother’s Day, Let Us Make A Real Difference In Our Mother’s Life

“All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother.” – Abraham Lincoln

Mothers play a crucial role in our lives. Since we were little, they held our hands, acting as our guide into the world. They took care of all our needs – from teaching us how to hold a spoon, cooking delicious meals for us, dropping us to school and sitting with us while we struggled with our math homework – mothers have been there through thick and thin.

On the special occasion of Mother’s Day, Friends Adult Diapers has a beautiful message for each of us – treat your mother the way she has treated you all her life.

It was our mothers who stayed up all night taking care of us when we fell sick; it was her who help us with our homework. This Mother’s Day, remember to take care and support your mother the way she took care of you all these years.

The minds and bodies of our ageing parents dwindle as they grow even older, and somewhere in the incoherence of understanding their thoughts, children lose patience. They spend less and less time with their parents and hire others to look after them. A study by HelpAge India gives accounts of the elderly, most of whom testify to verbal abuse, neglect and disrespect by their children. Old people rely on their children for both emotional and financial support but, often times are not given the needed care.

There is little difference in how we were as toddlers and how parents are as senior citizens. They couldn’t understand the gibber we uttered then, yet taught us different languages. We were financially dependent on them till at least 18 years of age yet, they never said no to giving us pocket money. Why cannot we echo the same patience our parents showed for so many years?

Our parents have an unconditional love for us. They made sure all our needs are cared for and we never feel alone. When we grow up and our parents enter old age, they require the same care and affection. They would be delighted if we spent time with them after classes or work, make tea or cook for them and also help them with household chores when they have too many things at hand.

It is our responsibility to stand with our parents when they are weak; it is our responsibility to cook for them when they are too tired, and it is our responsibility to take care of them when they fall sick.

Mother’s Day is a celebration in honour of motherhood, a tribute to maternal bonds and the influence of mothers in society. Let us make a real difference by showing how much we truly care for our mothers.

Friends Adult Diapers has taken a wonderful initiative in this regard. The most precious gift for a mother is her child. So why not take this as an opportunity to shower her with the same love? After all, she deserves it for being with you through every obstacle and every hardship that you faced.